THE INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWSPAPER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868 The Daily Iowan TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2006 WWW.DAILYIOWAN.COM 50¢ Fire hits Nussle, Culver clash on experience apts. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BY EMILEIGH BARNES ADMISSION THE DAILY IOWAN ISSUE, WATCH An early morning fire left nine TODAY’S college students with damaged DITV NEWSCAST ON CITY apartments after a problem with CABLE CHANNEL 17, an electrical circuit sparked flames CAMPUS 4, OR ONLINE AT at an East Church Street complex DAILYIOWAN.COM. Monday. Firefighters were on scene at the apartments — located at 319, 321, and 323 E. Church St. at ‘I’m not going to take about 2:15 a.m. Four apartments received smoke this time to make a damage in the blaze, and “most” personal attack.Tell were damaged by water, Iowa City Fire Marshal Roger Jensen said. the voters something The roof of the apartment building they might not know was badly damaged, and it will need to be replaced, he said. about you. Officials estimated property Congressman?’ damage at $75,000 and personal damages at $10,000. — Chet Culver, No one was injured in the fire, Democratic candidate Jensen said. for governer The cause of the flames was pin- pointed to the accidental ignition of insulation caused by an electri- ‘I think you could cal outlet on the second story, probably think which could have been caused by three things, Jensen said. of a more profound question than that.’ SEE FIRE, PAGE 3A — Jim Nussle, Katrina Hawthorne/The Daily Iowan Republican Democrat Chet Culver and Republican Jim Nussle square off in a gubernatorial debate at St. Ambrose College in Davenport on MONDAY MORNING’S congressman Monday. With election drawing near, the two candidates stepped up their attacks. CHURCH STREET FIRE Possible causes: BY DEAN TREFTZ noted his 16 years in Congress. University and hosted by the Quad- questions posed to both the candi- • A short circuit THE DAILY IOWAN But Democrat Culver argued that City Times and KWQC, features a for- dates. The two candidates frequently • An overloaded circuit Nussle’s Washington background was mat that allowed the candidates — disputed each other’s previous argu- • An over-current, or more energy DAVENPORT — Gubernatorial actually a liability, linking the con- vying to replace outgoing Gov.Tom ments. flowing through the circuit than it candidates Chet Culver and Jim Nus- gressman with the increasingly Vilsack — ample time to attack and For instance, on abortion, “I have could handle sle participated in a heated debate on unpopular Republican government. counterattack one other. The event not changed any position; I have said Monday, exchanging attacks and jabs “Would you be better off with some- was suffused with a partisan feel, and throughout the campaign that I while focusing primarily on their one who’s been in Washington for 16 supporters outside the event yelled would uphold the current law,” Culver respective governmental experience. years, most recently with President and bobbed their respective campaign said in response to a Nussle assertion CAGE-FREE PROGRAM In his opening remarks, Nussle, a Bush, or with a governor who’s been signs in the rain. that the Democrat had recently shift- Republican congressman, said that in rooted in Iowa values?” asked Culver, In the actual debate, the two hope- ed on the contentious issue. the tight gubernatorial race, “there is who is the current secretary of State. fuls were also allowed to question one Dorms a gap in leadership experience” and The debate, held at St. Ambrose another directly, along with the usual SEE DEBATE, PAGE 3A to use Iowa House Admissions may change bans smoking uncaged FOR MORE INFORMATION BY JAMIE HANSEN ON THE ADMISSIONS THE DAILY IOWAN ISSUE, WATCH TODAY’S DITV NEWSCAST ON CITY The Iowa House Hotel in the IMU will eggs CABLE CHANNEL 17, make all guest rooms smoke-free start- CAMPUS 4, OR ONLINE AT ing Nov. 15. This recent prohibition for DAILYIOWAN.COM. the hotel is yet another battle in the uni- BY RYAN YOUNG versity’s fight against cigarette smoke. THE DAILY IOWAN The ongoing campaign against smok- BY ASHTON SHURSON ing is not a new issue for Iowa City. UI Associated Residence Halls THE DAILY IOWAN Starting July 1, the UI Hospitals representatives on Monday and Clinics banned smoking on all approved a cage-free-egg program Two UI officials are concerned about hospital grounds. After that, smokers a long-standing university policy that in residence dining facilities but managed to find a loophole by smoking automatically admits Iowa students only after culling extra voting near an entrance of the Field House. who graduate in the top half of their members so the group could meet high-school classes — with one favoring In response to the Field House quorum for the vote. abolishing the rule altogether. smokers, the university enacted the Residence-hall executives That admissions policy has been in Aug. 14 smoking policy that stipulat- refused to disclose the final tally effect since the mid-1950s at all three ed smokers must remain 25 feet away afterwards, saying that they had regent universities. But with differing from all UI building entrances. been advised not to do so because grade-point average spreads at On Oct. 3, the Iowa City City Coun- the vote was, in a sense, “unfair.” schools, some feel the cutoff might not Katrina Hawthorne/The Daily Iowan cil declared all taxis must be smoke- Because not all group representa- adequately determine a student’s Roosevelt Dandridge (left to right) Kortney Roe, Sade Tolbert, and Tyler Senior, free. Some Johnson County residents tives attended the meeting in time abilities or help the UI’s reputation. all students at West High School, hang out after school Monday. Some at the UI are wondering how far the new rules for the vote, ballots from RAs were “This is one of the reasons the will go. accepted in order to meet quorum. want to change the admissions standards for the university so that high-school rankings have fallen,” said UI Stu- students in the top half of their classes aren’t automatically admitted. Of 39 voting members, 22 cast dent Government President Peter SEE SMOKE, PAGE 3A ballots in Monday’s vote, which is McElligott. two members above the required This year, the UI fell from 21st to universities on Sunday to discuss the bottom half because of the school’s number to vote on the issue. 25th in the U.S. News & World Report’s policy, among other issues. many high test scores and grades. A committee, impaneled by the “[Being in the top 50 half] doesn’t nec- POLICIES “Ideally, we would want [the 39 list of America’s Best Public Colleges of Other recent Iowa City smoking policies 2007. The university’s rankings are a state Board of Regents earlier this essarily mean that a student is prepared residence-hall representatives] • July 1: UI Hospitals and Clinics byproduct of the admissions policy, UI year and made up of two people each to succeed at the university,” he said. and have 20 of that be the major- banned smoking on hospital grounds. ity,” said Audrey Banner, the Provost Michael Hogan said. from the UI, Iowa State University, Hogan added that he wants an admissions policy that will allow • Aug. 14: UI said smokers must Associated Residence Hall presi- “The University of Iowa has a lot of and the University of Northern Iowa, students to have a good chance at remain 25 feet away from university- dent. But “there’s nothing in [the people and has the ability to be more is studying admission standards and selective if the trends continue,” said ways to improve them. success — rather than boosting the building entrances. association’s] constitution that university’s rankings. • Oct. 3: City Council ruled all taxi cabs says RAs can’t vote.” McElligott, who met with Regent Hogan said he finds the top-half rule Jenny Connelly and student-govern- “arbitrary,” and the best high schools must be smoke-free. SEE CAGE-FREE, PAGE 3A ment presidents from the three state may produce students who rank in the SEE ADMISSIONS, PAGE 3A SPEARING THE PAST ORGANICALLY SPEAKING PEOPLE POWER INDEX 61 16 C Arts 7A © While the organic-food movement seems © Mostly cloudy, A local club tries to keep the With the U.S. population ready to go over Classifieds 4B spirit of the ancient atlatl alive. to be popular off campus, it doesn‘t seem the 300 million mark, some worry about Crossword 8A 45 7 C breezy, 40% chance of rain 1B to make any headway in the dorms. 4A the strain on the environment. 5A Opinions 6A Sports 1B 2A - The Daily Iowan - Iowa City, Iowa - Tuesday, October 17, 2006 NEWS The Daily Iowan Council looks at affordable units Volume 138 Issue 82 BREAKING NEWS STAFF Phone: (319) 335-6063 Publisher: The City Council might make it mandatory for city builders to include affordable E-mail: [email protected] William Casey. 335-5788 Editor: Fax: 335-6184 housing units in developments, but the councilors must go over the details Meghan Sims. .335-6030 CORRECTIONS Managing Editor: Call: 335-6030 Jane Slusark. 335-5855 than in the rest of the state,” said “I support affordable hous- BY SUSAN ELGIN Policy: The Daily Iowan strives for Metro Editors: Karin Franklin, the city’s plan- ing, but I don’t like the word THE DAILY IOWAN accuracy and fairness in the reporting Mason Kerns. .335-6063 ning and community-develop- ZONING GOALS mandatory, and I don’t like Seung Min Kim.